Reading Passage "Austen"
century critics. An example of such a response was
At the time Jane Austen's novels were published --
between 1811 and 1818 -- English literature was not
part of any academic curriculum. In addition, fiction
was under strenuous attack. Certain religious and
political groups felt novels had the power to make so
called immoral characters so interesting young
readers would identify with them; these groups also
considered novels to be of little practical use. Even
Coleridge, certainly no literary reactionary, spoke
for many when he asserted that "novel-reading
occasions the destruction of the mind's power."
These attitudes towards novels help explain why
Austen received little attention from early
nineteenth century literary critics. (In any case, a
novelist published anonymously, as Austen was,
would not be likely to receive much critical
attention). The literary response that was accorded
her, however, was often as incisive as twentieth
century criticism. In his attack in 1816 on novelistic
portrayals 'outside of ordinary experience', for
example, Scott made an insightful remark about the
merits of Austen's fiction. Her novels, wrote Scott,
'present to the reader an accurate and exact picture
of ordinary everyday people and places, reminiscent
of seventeenth-century Flemish painting.' Scott did
not use the word 'realism', but he undoubtedly used
a standard of realistic probability in judging novels.
The critic Whately did not use the word 'realism'
either, but he expressed agreement with Scott's
evaluation, and went on to suggest the possibilities
for moral instruction in what we have called Austen's
realistic method. Her characters, wrote Whately, are
persuasive agents for moral truth since they are
ordinary persons 'so clearly evoked that we feel an
interest in their fate as if it were our own'. Moral
instruction, explained Whately, is more likely to be
effective when conveyed through recognizably
human and interesting characters than when
imparted by a sermonizing narrator. Whately
especially praised Austen's ability to create
characters who 'mingle goodness and villainy,
weakness and virtue, as in life they are always
mingled.' Whately concluded his remarks by
comparing Austen's art of characterization to
Dickens', stating his preference for Austen's.
Yet, the response of nineteenth-century literary
critics to Austen was not always so laudatory, and
often anticipated the reservations of twentieth-
Lewes' complaint in 1859 that Austen's range of
subjects and characters was too narrow. Praising her
verisimilitude, Lewes added that nonetheless her
focus was too often upon only the unlofty and the
common place. (Twentieth-century Marxists, on the
other hand, were to complain about what they saw
as her exclusive emphasis on a lofty upper-middle
class.) In any case, having been rescued by some
literary critics from neglect and indeed gradually
lionized by them, Austen steadily reached, by the
twentienth century, the enviable pinnacle of being
considered controversial.
#1 The author would most likely agree to which of
the following as the best measure of a writer's
literary success?
Inclusion of the writer's work in an academic
curriculum
Publication of the writer's work in the writer's
own name
Existence of debate among critics about the
writer's work
Praise of the writer's work by religious and
political groups
Ability of the writer's work to appeal to
ordinary people
#2 The primary purpose of the passage is to
Demonstrate the nineteenth-century
preference for realistic novels rather than
romantic ones
Explain why Jane Austen's novels were not
included in any academic curriculum in the
early nineteenth century
Urge a reassessment of Jane Austen's novels by
twentieth-century literary critics
Describe some of the responses of nineteenth
century critics to Jane Austen's novels as well
as to fiction in general
 Argue that realistic character portrayal is the
novelist's most difficult task as well as the
aspect of a novel most likely to elicit critical
response
#3 The passage suggests that twentieth century
Marxists would have admired Jane Austen's novels
more if the novels, as the Marxists understood them,
had
described the values of upper-middle class
society
avoided moral instruction and sermonizing
depicted ordinary society in a more flattering
light
portrayed characters from more than one class
of society
anticipated some of the controversial social
problems of the twentieth century
#4 The author quotes Coleridge in order to
refute the literary opinions of certain religious
and political groups
make a case for the inferiority of novel to
poetry
give an example of a writer who was not a
literary reactionary
illustrate the early nineteenth-century belief
that fiction was especially appealing to young
readers
indicate how widespread was the attack on
novels in the early nineteenth century
#5 According to the passage, the lack of critical
attention paid to Jane Austen can be explained by
all of the following nineteenth-century attitudes
towards the novel except the
assurance felt by many people that novels
weakened the mind
certainty shared by many political
commentators that the range of novels was too
narrow
lack of interest shown by some critics in novels
that were published anonymously
fear exhibited by some religious and political
groups that the novel had the power to portray
immoral characters attractively
belief held by some religious and political
groups that novels had no practical value
#6 It can be inferred from the passage that Whately
found Dickens' characters to be
especially interesting to young readers
ordinary persons in recognizably human
situations
less likable than Jane Austen's characters to
have a realistic mixture of moral qualities
more often villainous and weak than virtuous
and good
less susceptible than Jane Austen's characters
to the moral judgments of a sermonizing
narrator
#7 The passage supplies information for answering
which of the following questions?
Was Whately aware of Scott's remarks about
Jane Austen's novels?
Who is an example of a twentieth-century
Marxist critic?
Who is an example of a twentieth-century
critic who admired Jane Austen's novels?
What is the author's judgment of Dickens?
Did Jane Austen express her opinion on those
nineteenth century critics who admired her
novels?
#8 The passage supplies information to suggest that
the religious and political groups (mentioned in the
third sentence) and Whately might have agreed that
a novel

has little practical use

has the ability to influence moral values of its

readers

is of utmost interest to readers when

representing ordinary human characters

should not be read by young readers

needs the sermonizing of a narrator in order to

impart moral truths

#9 The author mentions that English literature 'was

not part of any academic curriculum' in the early
nineteenth century in order to

Emphasize the need for Jane Austen to create

ordinary, everyday characters in her novels

Give support to those religious and political

groups that had attacked fiction

Give one reason why Jane Austen's novels

received little critical attention in the early
nineteenth century

Suggest the superiority of an informal and

unsystematised approach to the study of
literature

Contrast nineteenth-century attitudes towards

English literature with those towards classical
literature
Reading Passage "Avian Flu" #1 Which of the following best describes the topic of
the passage?
The cutting-edge science on front-page newspapers
is ringing alarm bells. Avian flu virus picked up by
pigs can swap genetic materials with another flu What causes the Nipah virus and Japanese
virus already in the pig and become a new, hitherto Encephalitis virus to happen?
unknown flu virus for which no person, no animal has
preexisting immunity. This kind of virus causes a
pandemic because it spreads from human to human. Does Hong Kong flu originate from pig?

If you took a peek into history, it turns out that

From fowl to pigs to humans?
previous influenza pandemics have similar scenarios.
The greatest influenza pandemic in 1918 caused
more than 20 million deaths of soldiers stationed in Is influenza pandemic horrible?
France. The last influenza pandemic was in 1968,
known as the Hong Kong flu (H3N2). Thousands of
deaths and millions were infected worldwide. Shall we eat chicken?

The other examples are the Nipah virus and

Japanese Encephalitis virus, which find pigs to be #2 What does the author mean by describing the pig
good hosts. With JE, the virus circulates in the blood as a "mixing vessel"?
of infected pigs. When infected pigs are bitten by
Culex mosquitoes, the virus replicates in the Pig is the place where various viruses reside.
mosquito's gut. The next time the mosquito bites a
human, the virus is passed on. The pig doesn't get
sick as such. The Nipah virus causes pneumonia Pig is the pot in which viruses swap genes and
symptoms in pigs. In humans, it causes encephalitis, become new, deadly germs.
and humans catch it only with direct contact with
infected pigs. Symptoms range from mild headache Viruses are mixed inside the body of a pig.
to permanent brain damage, and can be fatal.

It's merely a phenomenon of nature that the pig is New germs come to the body of pig and reside
the "mixing vessel" for the new germ. But make no there.
mistake, the pig is not the villain, neither is the
chicken. It's actually us, and our horrible farm
practices, outdated agricultural policy and, most of Pig attracts viruses.
all, reckless disregard of our ecology and
environment. "Hygiene and management can control #3 Which of the following statements can be inferred
what eventually happens," says Lam. "Good farming from the passage?
practice will prevent serious outbreaks and infection
to humans." Despite knowing that, animal diseases
and the possibility of transmission to humans are New emerging diseases cause more deaths of
becoming quite alarming. Of the 35 new emerging humans than animals.
diseases in the last 20 years, more than 70 per cent
involved animals. Animals are the villain for most flus.

In fact, what we may have done is unwittingly create

the perfect launch pad for an influenza pandemic Hygiene and management cannot control the
that will likely kill large numbers of people across spread of viruses.
the globe. Although scientists say it's impossible to
predict the odds that the virus will alter its genetic
The current bird flu epidemic may be a launch
form radically enough to start leaping from human to
pad for the next influenza pandemic.
human, the longer H5N1 is out there killing chickens,
the higher the chances are.
The influenza pandemic is always a regional
phenomenon.

#4 All of the following situations are similar to the

spread of avian flu virus described in the first
paragraph EXCEPT:

The BT2 spread from a pig to another pig, and

thus causes significant disease in pig.

The AIDS viruses transferred from monkeys to

man and spread across the world.

The SARS virus originates from some wildlife

and is picked up by civet cats from which
humans got it.

Nipah virus circulates in the blood of infected

pig, which is bitten by Culex mosquitoes, the
virus replicates in the mosquito's gut. The next
time the mosquito bites a human, the virus is
passed on.

H5N1 starts in chickens and leaps from human

to human.
Reading Passage "Caffeine"
Caffeine, the stimulant in coffee, has been called
"the most widely used psychoactive substance on
Earth." Snyder, Daly and Bruns have recently
proposed that caffeine affects behavior by
countering the activity in the human brain of a
naturally occurring chemical called adenosine.
Adenosine normally depresses neuron firing in many
areas of the brain. It apparently does this by
inhibiting the release of neurotransmitters,
chemicals that carry nerve impulses from one neuron
to the next. Like many other agents that affect
neuron firing, adenosine must first bind to specific
receptors on neuronal membranes. There are at
least two classes of these receptors, which have
been designated A1 and A2. Snyder et al propose
that caffeine, which is structurally similar to
adenosine, is able to bind to both types of receptors,
which prevents adenosine from attaching there and
allows the neurons to fire more readily than they
otherwise would.
For many years, caffeine's effects have been attri-
buted to its inhibition of the production of
phosphodiesterase, an enzyme that breaks down the
chemical called cyclic AMP. A number of
neurotransmitters exert their effects by first
increasing cyclic AMP concentrations in target
neurons. Therefore, prolonged periods at the
elevated concentrations, as might be brought about
by a phosphodiesterase inhibitor, could lead to a
greater amount of neuron firing and, consequently,
to behavioral stimulation. But Snyder et al point out
that the caffeine concentrations needed to inhibit
the production of phosphodiesterase in the brain are
much higher than those that produce stimulation.
Moreover, other compounds that block
phosphodiesterase's activity are not stimulants.
To buttress their case that caffeine acts instead by
pre-venting adenosine binding, Snyder et al
compared the stimulatory effects of a series of
caffeine derivatives with their ability to dislodge
adenosine from its receptors in the brains of mice.
"In general," they reported, "the ability of the
compounds to compete at the receptors correlates
with their ability to stimulate locomotion in the
mouse; i.e., the higher their capacity to bind at the
receptors, the higher their ability to stimulate
locomotion." Theophylline, a close structural relative
of caffeine and the major stimulant in tea, was one
of the most effective compounds in both regards.
There were some apparent exceptions to the general
correlation observed between adenosine-receptor
binding and stimulation. One of these was a
compound called 3-isobuty1-1-methylxanthine(IBMX),
which bound very well but actually depressed mouse
locomotion. Snyder et al suggest that this is not a
major stumbling block to their hypothesis. The
problem is that the compound has mixed effects in
the brain, a not unusual occurrence with
psychoactive drugs. Even caffeine, which is generally
known only for its stimulatory effects, displays this
property, depressing mouse locomotion at very low
concentrations and stimulating it at higher ones.
#1 Snyder et al suggest that caffeine's ability to bind
to A1 and A2 receptors can be at least partially
attributed to which of the following?
The chemical relationship between caffeine and
phosphodiesterase
The structural relationship between caffeine
and adenosine
The structural similarity between caffeine and
neurotransmitters
The ability of caffeine to stimulate behavior
The natural occurrence of caffeine and
adenosine in the brain
#2 The author quotes Snyder et al in lines 38-43 most
probably in order to
reveal some of the assumptions underlying their
theory
summarize a major finding of their experiments
point out that their experiments were limited
to the mouse
indicate that their experiments resulted only in
general correlations
refute the objections made by supporters of the
older theory
#3 The primary purpose of the passage is to
discuss a plan for investigation of a
phenomenon that is not yet fully understood
present two explanations of a phenomenon and
 reconcile the differences between them behavior in humans only

summarize two theories and suggest a third
theory that overcomes the problems
encountered in the first two
describe an alternative hypothesis and provide
evidence and arguments that support it
has mixed effects in the brain, whereas
adenosine has only a stimulatory effect
increases cyclic AMP concentrations in target
neurons, whereas adenosine decreases such
concentrations

challenge the validity of a theory by exposing permits release of neurotransmitters when it is

the inconsistencies and contradictions in it
#4 In response to experimental results concerning
IBMX, Snyder et al contended that it is not
uncommon for psychoactive drugs to have
mixed effects in the brain
bound to adenosine receptors, whereas
adenosine inhibits such release
inhibits both neuron firing and the production
of phosphodiesterase when there is a sufficient
concentration in the brain, whereas adenosine
inhibits only neuron firing

inhibitory effects on enzymes in the brain

close structural relationships with caffeine

depressive effects on mouse locomotion

the ability to dislodge caffeine from receptors

in the brain

#5 According to Snyder et al, all of the following

compounds can bind to specific receptors in the
brain EXCEPT

IBMX

caffeine

adenosine

theophylline

phosphodiesterase

#6 According to Snyder et al, caffeine differs from

adenosine in that caffeine

stimulates behavior in the mouse and in

humans, whereas adenosine stimulates
Reading Passage "Eatonville" #1 As it is used in the passage, the highlighted word
material most nearly means:
In the 1930s, why did author Zora Neale Hurston
choose Eatonville, Florida, to be the first source for
her collection of folklore? diversity.

I was glad when somebody told me, "You may go and

collect Negro folklore." In a way, it would not be a fabric.
new experience for me. When I pitched
headforemost into the world I landed in the crib of
Negroism. It was fitting me like a tight chemise. I information.
couldn't see it for wearing it. It was only when I was
off in college, away from my native surroundings,
money.
that I could stand off and look at my garment. Then I
had to have the spy-glass of anthropology to look
through. energy.
I was asked where I wanted to work and I said,
"Florida. It's a place that draws people -- Negroes #2 In the second paragraph, the author indicates
from every Southern state and some from the North that one reason she chose to work in Florida was
and West." So I knew that it was possible for me to that she wanted to collect folklore:
get a cross section of the Negro South in one state.
And then I realized that I felt new myself, so it
from people of different geographical
looked sensible for me to choose familiar ground. I
backgrounds.
started in Eatonville, Florida, because I knew that
the town was full of material and that I could get it
without causing any hurt or harm. As early as I could where her teachers suggested she do so.
remember, it was the habit of the men particularly
to gather on the store porch in the evenings and
swap stories. Even the women would stop and break from a place she had never visited.
a breath with them at times. As a child when I was
sent down to the store, I'd drag out my leaving to
in a state far from where she grew up.
hear more.

Folklore is not as easy to collect as it sounds. The
ideal source is where there are the fewest outside
influences, but these people are reluctant at times
to reveal that which the soul lives by. I knew that
even I would have some hindrance among strangers.
But here in Eatonville I knew everybody was going to
help me.
in a state with a large urban population.
#3 Based on the first paragraph, it is most
reasonable to conclude that while in college the
author:
decided to become a professor of anthropology.

decided that she did not want to live

permanently in Eatonville, Florida.

felt that her teachers prevented her from

studying what she wanted.

became disenchanted with anthropology.

understood her own culture in new and

different ways.
#4 Which of the following does the author use as a
metaphor for the culture in which she was born?
College
Garment
Southern state
Spy-glass
Story
#5 Based on information in the third paragraph,
which of the following statements about the
interactions on the porch can be most reasonably
inferred?
The adults encouraged the author (as a child) to
stay and tell stories.
Men were more frequent participants than were
women.
Most of the storytellers had not grown up in
Eatonville.
The author's parents sent her to the porch to
hear the stories.
One man in particular told most of the stories.
#6 In the first paragraph, the author's claim, "In a
way, it would not be a new experience for me,"
refers to the fact that:
she had already attended college in Florida.
she had already collected folklore in Florida for
a college course.
she had already experienced new cultures by
leaving home.
she was already familiar with the folklore she
was to collect.
she had already received permission to conduct
the study.
#7 In the last paragraph, the author writes that
folklore collecting:
is less difficult than it appears.
is easiest to accomplish in isolated places
because people there freely reveal their
innermost thoughts.
can be difficult in isolated places, even though
the people there are the best sources.
is more difficult than publishing what has been
collected.
is the best way to reveal what is important to
people.
#8 Which of the following is NOT among the reasons
the author gives for her decision to collect folklore
in Eatonville?
The people of Eatonville would be grateful that
she published their stories.
The people of Eatonville would have many
stories for her recollection.
Eatonville and its people are familiar to her.
She believes that she can collect stories
without doing harm.
She believes that the people of Eatonville will
help her in her project.
Reading Passage "Farming" #1 The passage states that which of the following is
true of the small number of potato varieties that
What Methods Do Andean Farmers Use? account for most of the potatoes produced on Earth
currently?
Public debate around climate change and its effects
on agriculture tends to focus on the large-scale
industrial farms of the North. Farmers who work on a
They are grown in the Andean region.
small scale and use traditional methods have largely
been ignored. However, as the world slowly comes
to terms with the threat of climate change, Native They all require very similar soil and climate
farming traditions will warrant greater attention. conditions.
In the industrial model of agriculture, one or two
crop varieties are grown over vast areas. Instead of They are no longer suited to their environment.
trying to use local resources of soil and water
optimally and sustainably, the natural environment
They are based on genetic material from crops
is all but ignored and uniform growing conditions are
developed by indigenous peoples.
fabricated through large-scale irrigation and the
intensive use of artificial fertilizers and pesticides.
For example, a handful of basically similar potato They make optimal use of available soil and
varieties, all of which require nearly identical soil water resources.
conditions, temperature, rainfall, and growing
seasons, account for almost all global production.
#2 What is the main idea of the first paragraph?
When these global crops are no longer suited to the
environment in which they are grown, when their
resistance to disease and pests begins to fail, or the Attention to Native farming practices will lead
climate itself changes, the best way to rejuvenate to greater awareness of the threat of climate
the breeding stock will be to introduce new genetic change.
material from the vast diversity of crop varieties still
maintained by indigenous peoples. Popularity of small-scale farming in the North
will lead to greater attention to Native farming
In contrast to the industrial model, Andean potatoes practices.
and other Andean crops such as squash and beans
grown by Quechuan farmers exhibit extraordinary
genetic diversity, driven by the need to adapt crops Global demand for food will lead to increasing
to the extraordinary climatic diversity of the region. efficiency of large-scale farming in the North.
Along the two axes of latitude and altitude, the
Andes encompasses fully two-thirds of all possible It will be worthwhile to include a greater focus
combinations of climate and geography found on on Native farming practices in public discussions
Earth. The Andean potato has been adapted to every concerning the threat of climate change.
environment except the depth of the rainforest or
the frozen peaks of the mountains. Today, facing the
likelihood of major disruptions to the climatic Despite potential climate change, public debate
conditions for agriculture worldwide, indigenous will have little effect on industrial farming
farmers provide a dramatic example of crop practices.
adaptation in an increasingly extreme environment.
More importantly, Native farmers have also #3 In the second paragraph, the information about
safeguarded the crop diversity essential for the potato-growing practices in the industrial model of
future adaptations. agriculture serves to:

give an example of a potential problem that

Native farming practices could help to
alleviate.

show the likely global consequences of a

possible food shortage caused by industrial
farming practices.
 show how pests and disease are less effectively
resisted by crops grown in the industrial farming
model.

give an example of how public debate has had

little effect on the agricultural practices of the
North.

give an example of how Native farming

practices and industrial farming practices
derive from different climatic conditions.

#4 As it is used in the passage, the underlined word

fabricated most nearly means:

woven.

falsely stated.

fully clothed.

manufactured.

unwrapped.
Reading Passage "Federal"
Federal efforts to aid minority businesses began in
the 1960's when the Small Business Administration
(SBA) began making federally guaranteed loans and
government-sponsored management and technical
assistance available to minority business enterprises.
While this program enabled many minority
entrepreneurs to form new businesses, the results
were disappointing, since managerial inexperience,
unfavorable locations, and capital shortages led to
high failure rates. Even 15 years after the program
was implemented, minority business receipts were
not quite two percent of the national economy's
total receipts.
Recently federal policymakers have adopted an
approach intended to accelerate development of the
minority business sector by moving away from
directly aiding small minority enterprises and toward
supporting larger, growth-oriented minority firms
through intermediary companies. In this approach,
large corporations participate in the development of
successful and stable minority businesses by making
use of government sponsored venture capital. The
capital is used by a participating company to
establish a Minority Enterprise Small Business
Investment Company or MESBIC. The MESBIC then
provides capital and guidance to minority businesses
that have potential to become future suppliers or
customers of the sponsoring company.
MESBIC's are the result of the belief that providing
established firms with easier access to relevant
management techniques and more job-specific
experience, as well as substantial amounts of capital,
gives those firms a greater opportunity to develop
sound business foundations than does simply making
general management experience and small amounts
of capital available. Further, since potential markets
for the minority businesses already exist through the
sponsoring companies, the minority businesses face
considerably less risk in terms of location and
market fluctuation. Following early financial and
operating problems, sponsoring corporations began
to capitalize MESBIC's far above the legal minimum
of $500,000 in order to generate sufficient income
and to sustain the quality of management needed.
MESBIC's are now emerging as increasingly important
financing sources for minority enterprises.
Ironically, MESBIC staffs, which usually consist of
Hispanic and Black professionals, tend to approach
investments in minority firms more pragmatically
than do many MESBIC directors, who are usually
senior managers from sponsoring corporations. The
latter often still think mainly in terms of the "Social
Responsibility Approach" and thus seem to prefer
deals that are riskier and less attractive than normal
investment criteria would warrant. Such differences
in viewpoint have produced uneasiness among many
minority staff members, who feel that minority
entrepreneurs and businesses should be judged by
established business considerations. These staff
members believe their point of view is closer to the
original philosophy of MESBIC's and they are
concerned that, unless a more prudent course is
followed, MESBIC directors may revert to policies
likely to re-create the disappointing results of the
original SBA approach.
#1 Which of the following best states the central
idea of the passage?
The use of MESBIC's for aiding minority
entrepreneurs seems to have greater potential
for success than does the original SBA approach.
There is a crucial difference in point of view
between the staff and directors of some
MESBIC's.
After initial problems with management and
marketing, minority businesses have begun to
expand at a steady rate.
Minority entrepreneurs wishing to form new
businesses now have several equally successful
federal programs on which to rely.
For the first time since 1960, large corporations
are making significant contributions to the
development of minority businesses.
#2 According to the passage, the MESBIC approach
differs from the SBA approach in that MESBIC's
seek federal contracts to provide markets for
minority businesses
encourage minority businesses to provide
markets for other minority businesses
attempt to maintain a specified rate of growth
in the minority business sector
rely on the participation of large corporations
to finance minority businesses
select minority businesses on the basis of their
location
#3 Which of the following does the author cite to call attention to the fact that MESBIC's must
support the conclusion that the results of the SBA receive adequate funding in order to function
program were disappointing? effectively

The small number of new minority enterprises
formed as a result of the program
The small number of minority enterprises that
took advantage of the management and
technical assistance offered under the program
show that sponsoring companies were willing to
invest only $500,000 of government-sponsored
venture capital in the original MESBIC's
compare SBA and MESBIC limits on minimum
funding

The small percentage of the nation's business refute suggestions that MESBIC's have been only
receipts earned by minority enterprises marginally successful
following the program's implementation.

#6 The author's primary objective in the passage is

The small percentage of recipient minority to
enterprises that were able to repay federally
guaranteed loans made under the program
disprove the view that federal efforts to aid
minority businesses have been ineffective
The small number of minority enterprises that
chose to participate in the program
explain how federal efforts to aid minority
businesses have changed since the 1960's
#4 Which of the following statements about the SBA
program can be inferred from the passage?
establish a direct link between the federal
efforts to aid minority businesses made before
The maximum term for loans made to recipient the 1960's and those made in the 1980's
businesses was 15 years.

analyze the basis for the belief that job-

Business loans were considered to be more specific experience is more useful to minority
useful to recipient businesses than was businesses than is general management
management and technical assistance. experience

The anticipated failure rate for recipient argue that the "social responsibility approach"
businesses was significantly lower than the rate to aiding minority businesses is superior to any
that actually resulted. other approach

Recipient businesses were encouraged to

relocate to areas more favorable for business
development.

The capitalization needs of recipient businesses

were assessed and then provided for
adequately.

#5 The author refers to the "financial and operating

problems" (line 38) encountered by MESBIC's
primarily in order to

broaden the scope of the discussion to include

the legal considerations of funding MESBIC's
through sponsoring companies
Reading Passage "Free Market"
Most economists in the United States seem
captivated by the spell of the free market.
Consequently, nothing seems good or normal that
does not accord with the requirements of the free
market.
A price that is determined by the seller or, for that
matter, established by anyone other than the
aggregate of consumers seems pernicious.
Accordingly, it requires a major act of will to think
of price-fixing (the determination of prices by the
seller) as both "normal" and having a valuable
economic function. In fact, price-fixing is normal in
all industrialized societies because the industrial
system itself provides, as an effortless consequence
of its own development, the price-fixing that it
requires. Modern industrial planning requires and
rewards great size. Hence, a comparatively small
number of large firms will be competing for the
same group of consumers. That each large firm will
act with consideration of its own needs and thus
avoid selling its products for more than its
competitors charge is commonly recognized by
advocates of free-market economic theories. But
each large firm will also act with full consideration
of the needs that it has in common with the other
large firms competing for the same customers. Each
large firm will thus avoid significant price-cutting,
because price-cutting would be prejudicial to the
common interest in a stable demand for products.
Most economists do not see price-fixing when it
occurs because they expect it to be brought about
by a number of explicit agreements among large
firms; it is not.
Moreover, those economists who argue that allowing
the free market to operate without interference is
the most efficient method of establishing prices have
not considered the economies of non-socialist
countries other than the United states. These
economies employ intentional price-fixing, usually in
an overt fashion. Formal price-fixing by cartel and
informal price-fixing by agreements covering the
members of an industry are commonplace. Were
there something peculiarly efficient about the free
market and inefficient about price-fixing, the
countries that have avoided the first and used the
second would have suffered drastically in their
economic development. There is no indication that
they have.
Economists in the United States have hailed the
change as a return to the free market. But Soviet
firms are no more subject to prices established by a
free market over which they exercise little influence
than are capitalist firms; rather, Soviet firms have
been given the power to fix prices.
#1 In the passage, the author is primarily concerned
with
predicting the consequences of a practice
criticizing a point of view
calling attention to recent discoveries
proposing a topic for research
summarizing conflicting opinions
#2 The primary purpose of the passage is to
refute the theory that the free market plays a
useful role in the development of industrialized
societies
suggest methods by which economists and
members of the government of the United
States can recognize and combat price-fixing by
large firms
show that in industrialized societies price-fixing
and the operation of the free market are not
only compatible but also mutually beneficial
explain the various ways in which industrialized
societies can fix prices in order to stabilize the
free market
argue that price-fixing, in one form or another,
is an inevitable part of and benefit to the
economy of any industrialized society
#3 The author's attitude toward "Most economists in
the United States" (line 1) can best be described as

Socialist industry also works within a framework of spiteful and envious

controlled prices. In the early 1970's, the Soviet
Union began to give firms and industries some of the
flexibility in adjusting prices that a more informal scornful and denunciatory
evolution has accorded the capitalist system.
 critical and condescending
ambivalent but deferential
uncertain but interested
#4 It can be inferred from the author's argument that
a price fixed by the seller "seems pernicious" (line 7)
because
people do not have confidence in large firms
people do not expect the government to
regulate prices
most economists believe that consumers as a
group should determine prices
most economists associate fixed prices with
communist and socialist economies
most economists believe that no one group
should determine prices
#5 According to the author, price-fixing in non-
socialist countries is often
accidental but productive
illegal but useful
legal and innovative
traditional and rigid
intentional and widespread
#6 With which of the following statements regarding
the behavior of large firms in industrialized societies
would the author be most likely to agree?
The directors of large firms will continue to
anticipate the demand for products.
The directors of large firms are less interested
in achieving a predictable level of profit than in
achieving a large profit.
The directors of large firms will strive to reduce
the costs of their products.
Many directors of large firms believe that the
government should establish the prices that will
be charged for products.
Many directors of large firms believe that the
price charged for products is likely to increase
annually.
#7 According to the author, what is the result of the
Soviet Union's change in economic policy in the
1970's?
Soviet firms show greater profit.
Soviet firms have less control over the free
market.
Soviet firms are able to adjust to technological
advances.
Soviet firms have some authority to fix prices.
Soviet firms are more responsive to the free
market.
#8 The passage provides information that would
answer which of the following questions about price-
fixing?
I. What are some of the ways in which prices can be
fixed?
II. For what products is price-fixing likely to be more
profitable than the operation of the free market?
III. Is price-fixing more common in socialist
industrialized societies or in non-socialist
industrialized societies
I only
III only
I and II only
II and III only
I, II, and III
#9 The suggestion in the passage that price-fixing in
industrialized societies is normal arises from the
author's statement that price-fixing is

a profitable result of economic development

an inevitable result of the industrial system

the result of a number of carefully organized

decisions

a phenomenon common to industrialized and

non-industrialized societies

a phenomenon best achieved cooperatively by

government and industry
Reading Passage "Genetic Mutations"
Although genetic mutations in bacteria and viruses
can lead to epidemics, some epidemics are caused
by bacteria and viruses that have undergone no
significant genetic change. In analyzing the latter,
scientists have discovered the importance of social
and ecological factors to epidemics. Poliomyelitis,
for example, emerged as an epidemic in the United
States in the twentieth century; by then, modern
sanitation was able to delay exposure to polio until
adolescence or adulthood, at which time polio
infection produced paralysis. Previously, infection
had occurred during infancy, when it typically
provided lifelong immunity without paralysis. Thus,
the hygiene that helped prevent typhoid epidemics
indirectly fostered a paralytic polio epidemic.
Another example is Lyme disease, which is caused by
bacteria that are transmitted by deer ticks. It
occurred only sporadically during the late nineteenth
century but has recently become prevalent in parts
of the United States, largely due to an increase in
the deer population that occurred simultaneously
with the growth of the suburbs and increased
outdoor recreational activities in the deer's habitat.
Similarly, an outbreak of dengue hemorrhagic fever
became an epidemic in Asia in the 1950's because of
ecological changes that caused Aedes aegypti, the
mosquito that transmits the dengue virus, to
proliferate. The stage is now set in the United States
for a dengue epidemic because of the inadvertent
introduction and wide dissemination of another
mosquito, Aedes albopictus.
#1 Which of the following best describes the
organization of the passage?
A paradox is stated, discussed and left
unresolved.
Two opposing explanations are presented,
argued, and reconciled.
A theory is proposed and is then followed by
descriptions of three experiments that support
the theory.
A generalization is stated and is then followed
by three instances that support the
generalization.
An argument is described and is then followed
by three counterexamples that refute the
argument.
#2 The passage suggests that a lack of modern
sanitation would make which of the following most
likely to occur?
An outbreak of Lyme disease
An outbreak of dengue hemorrhagic fever
An epidemic of typhoid
An epidemic of paralytic polio among infants
An epidemic of paralytic polio among
adolescents and adults
#3 Which of the following, if true, would most
strengthen the author's assertion about the cause of
the Lyme disease outbreak in the United States?
The deer population was smaller in the late
nineteenth century than in the mid-twentieth
century.
Interest in outdoor recreation began to grow in
the late nineteenth century.
In recent years the suburbs have stopped
growing.
 Outdoor recreation enthusiasts routinely take It is native to the United States.
measures to protect themselves against Lyme
disease.
It can proliferate only in Asia.
Scientists have not yet developed a vaccine that
can prevent Lyme disease. It transmits the dengue virus.

#4 It can be inferred from the passage that Lyme

It caused an epidemic of dengue hemorrhagic
disease has become prevalent in parts of the United
fever in the 1950's.
States because of which of the following?

It replaced Aedes aegypti in Asia when

The inadvertent introduction of Lyme disease
ecological changes altered Aedes aegypti's
bacteria to the United States
habitat.

The inability of modern sanitation methods to

eradicate Lyme disease bacteria

A genetic mutation in Lyme disease bacteria

that makes them more virulent

The spread of Lyme disease bacteria from

infected humans to noninfected humans

An increase in the number of humans who

encounter deer ticks

#5 According to the passage, the outbreak of dengue

hemorrhagic fever in the 1950's occurred for which
of the following reasons?

The mosquito Aedes aegypti was newly

introduced into Asia.

The mosquito Aedes aegypti became more

numerous.

The mosquito Aedes albopictus became infected

with the dengue virus.

Individuals who would normally acquire

immunity to the dengue virus as infants were
not infected until later in life.

More people began to visit and inhabit areas in

which mosquitos live and breed.

#6 Which of the following can most reasonably be

concluded about the mosquito Aedes albopictus on
the basis of information given in the passage?
Reading Passage "Industrial Revolution"
The term "Industrial Revolution" describes the
process of economic change from a stable
agricultural and commercial society to the modern
industrial society which is dependent on the use of
machinery rather than hand tools. While the process
was historically a gradual one and not the sudden
change which the word "revolution" suggests, the
economic, social, and political results were indeed
revolutionary.
Basically, it meant the change from hand work to
machine power - made possible by the use of steam
for power through the perfection of the improved
steam engine of James Watt in 1769, which made
Thomas Newcomen's invention of 1708 practical for
industrial use. The domestic system of production
(goods produced in many homes and gathered for
sale by a middleman) was replaced by the factory
system. Coupled with the technological advances
which first affected the cotton textile industry and
the iron and coal industries in England, were the
equally significant technological improvements in
agriculture.
Historically, the first stage of the Industrial
Revolution began slowly about 1760, gathered
momentum after 1815, and extended into the 1870s
with the main source of power being the steam
engine. Profits for the capitalists came from the
manufacturing process itself, in contrast to the
Commercial Revolution when profits had come
chiefly from the transportation of goods. Coal
replaced wood as fuel, and iron machines replaced
wooden machines.
Later, the second stage of the Industrial Revolution
set in during the 1870s and extended to 1914 --
brought about by a new source of power, electricity,
from Michael Faraday's dynamo of 1831.
Characteristic of this stage was the adoption of mass
production techniques and the development of
finance capitalism, where profits were derived from
the investment of finance capital rather than from
the manufacturing process alone, as in the formation
of the United States Steel Corporation in 1901. It
was in this second stage that the swift
industrialization and urbanization of western Europe
and the United States took place.
The Industrial Revolution soon carried the middle
class to political and economic power -- and at the
same time created the greatest threat to capitalism,
the rise of the proletariat.
#1 According to the passage, the United States Steel
Corporation is an example of which of the following?
a company whose mass production techniques
are an extension of Faraday's dynamo
a company of the type that no one could have
predicted during the first stage of the Industrial
Revolution
a company which profited not only by selling
what it manufactured but by investments as
well
a company that represents at its most advanced
the modern factory system
a company that set its sights on the
industrialization of western Europe
#2 We may infer which of the following from the
author's discussion of economic change?
Previous to 1760 no significant economic
changes had occurred in England.
It is difficult to name the type of change
associated with the Industrial Revolution.
Economic change in this century constitutes the
third stage of the Industrial Revolution.
The term revolution may refer to the results
rather than the suddenness of change.
Social and political change is a separate
phenomenon from economic change.
#3 The author would probably agree that a
"revolutionary" economic change
replaces one dominant system of production
with another
is not recognizeable until long after it has
occurred
is not likely to occur in the near future
 is presently threatened by the rise of the
proletariat

must now include regions besides western

Europe and the United States

#4 Which of the following is a generalization

supported by information in the passage?

Since the eighteenth century, economic change

has been characterized by the development of
new sources of profit.

The Industrial Revolution did not significantly

affect social life until the twentieth century.

At the end of the first stage of the Industrial

Revolution, the American standard of living
was remarkably high.

Unlike steam power and electric power, atomic

power has not had economic effects.

The Industrial Revolution contributed to the

wretched condition of the lower class.
Reading Passage "Outsourcing" #1 Which of the following best describes the
organization of the first paragraph?
Indian firms have achieved the highest levels of
efficiency in the world in the software outsourcing
industry. Some researchers have assumed that Indian A thesis is presented and supporting examples
firms use the same programming languages and are provided.
techniques as Chinese firms but have benefited from
their familiarity with English, the language used to
write software code. However, if this were true, Opposing views are presented, classified, and
then one would expect software vendors in Hong then reconciled.
Kong, where most people speak English, to perform
better than do Indian vendors. However, this is A fact is stated, and an explanation is advanced
obviously not the case. and then refuted.

Other researchers link high Indian productivity to

higher levels of human resource investment per A theory is proposed, considered, and then
engineer. But a historical perspective leads to a amended.
different conclusion. When the two top Indian
vendors matched and then doubled Chinese An opinion is presented, qualified, and then
productivity levels in the mid-eighties, human reaffirmed.
resource investment per employee was comparable
to that of Chinese vendors. Furthermore, by the late
eighties, the amount of fixed assets required to #2 According to the passage, which of the following
develop one software package was roughly statements is true of Indian software developers?
equivalent in India and in China. Since human
resource investment was not higher in India, it had Their productivity levels did not equal those of
to be other factors that led to higher productivity. Chinese software engineers until the late
eighties.
A more fruitful explanation may lie with India's
strategic approach in outsourcing. Indian software
Their high efficiency levels are a direct result of
vendors did not simply seek outsourced contracts
English language familiarity.
more effectively: they made aggressive strategic
steps in outsourcing. For instance, most software
firms of India were initially set up to outsource They develop component-specific software.
contracts from western countries, such as the United
States. By contrary, most Chinese firms seemed to
position their business in China, a promising yet They are built to outsource to western orders.
under-developed market. However, rampant piracy
in China took almost 90 percent of the potential
They develop more packages of software than
market, making it impossible for most Chinese firms
do Chinese developers.
to obtain sufficient compensation for their
investment in development and research, let alone
thrive in a competitive environment. #3 The primary purpose of the passage is to

contrast possible outcomes of a type of business

strategy

suggest a more probable reason for the

difference in business outcomes

illustrate various ways in which a type of

business focus could fail to enhance revenues

trace the general problems of a company to a

certain type of business choice
 criticize the way in which managers tend to
analyze the costs and benefits of business
strategies

#4 The author suggests that if the researchers of

India mentioned in paragraph 1 were correct, which
of the following would be the case?

The computers used in India software firms

would be different from the computers used in
China firms.

Indian engineers would be trained to do several

different programming jobs.

Familiarity with English language would not

have an influence on the productivity levels of
engineers.

The engineers in India-run firms would have

lower productivity levels if they had a poor
command of English.

The production levels of India-run firms

located in China would be equal to those of
firms run by China firms.
Reading Passage "Oxygen" #1 The author would probably view the
developments discussed in the passage as
The levels of dissolved oxygen in the world's ocean
waters are declining precipitously. Just like humans,
fish need oxygen to survive, and so in ocean areas unsurprising
experiencing significant levels of oxygen scarcity, or
hypoxia, fish populations are plummeting. Although
some hypoxic areas, called Dead zones, occur puzzling
naturally, hypoxia in coastal areas and inland waters
is caused mainly by agricultural run-off and by
discharge of industrial wastewaters. More than one- alarming
hundred permanent dead zones, many covering
thousands of square miles, exist worldwide today.
encouraging
Since reproductive success is the most critical factor
in the sustainability of any species, the extent of unexpected
this threat to marine life and genetic diversity can
hardly be overstated. After several months in
hypoxic waters, female fish produce fewer eggs. #2 Which of the following is the best title for the
Moreover, hypoxic conditions serve to alter the passage?
normal ratio between two particular hormones
manufactured during the embryonic stage when a
Why are Fish Gender Ratios Changing so
fish's gender is determined. During gestation and
Rapidly?
under these conditions, the mother produces more
testosterone (and less estradiol), which inhibits the
development of female reproductive organs and Dead Zones: Their Causes and Consequences
other female characteristics in the embryo, while
promoting the development of male traits.
The Dangers of Industrial Wastewater Runoff

A Prescription for Reversing Hypoxia Levels

What Causes Birth Defects in Salt-water Fish?

#3 The passage explicitly supports the assertion that

hypoxia

drives salt-water fish away from coastal waters

occurs mainly in inland waters

poses a threat to the coastal fishing industry

is the result of lax environmental regulation

can occur independently of human activity

Reading Passage "Portrait" #1 Based on the passage information, with which of
the following statements would both Avedon and
The encounter that a portrait records is most Reynolds most likely agree?
tangibly the sitting itself, which may be brief or
extended, collegial or confrontational. Renowned
photographer Cartier-Bresson has expressed his Control of the portrait-sitting experience should
passion for portrait photography by characterizing it lie with the artist.
as "a duel without rules, a delicate rape." Such
metaphors contrast quite sharply with Richard
Avedon's conception of a sitting. While Cartier- A portrait is most likely to reveal the subject's
Bresson reveals himself as an interloper and true self when the sitting takes place in a
opportunist, Avedon confesses -- perhaps setting familiar to the subject.
uncomfortably -- to a role as diagnostician and (by
implication) psychic healer: not as someone who During portrait sittings, subjects often enjoy
necessarily transforms his subjects, but as someone revealing secrets about themselves to the
who reveals their essential nature. Both artist.
photographers, however, agree that the
fundamental dynamic in this process lies squarely in
the hands of the artist. Paying an artist for a portrait of oneself
undermines the mutual trust needed for a
A quite-different paradigm has its roots not in successful outcome.
confrontation or consultation but in active
collaboration between the artist and sitter. This very A person can gain new insight into himself or
different kind of relationship was formulated most herself by sitting for a portrait.
vividly by William Hazlitt in his essay entitled "Sitting
for One's Picture" (1823). To Hazlitt, the "bond of
connection" between painter and sitter is most like #2 Which of the following best characterizes a
the relationship between two lovers. Hazlitt fleshes Cartier-Bresson portrait sitting?
out his thesis by recalling the career of Sir Joshua
Reynolds. According to Hazlitt, Reynold's sitters an awkward exchange
were meant to enjoy an atmosphere that was both
comfortable for them and conducive to the
enterprise of the portrait painter, who was a mutual exploitation
simultaneously their host and their contractual
employee. In the case of artists like Reynolds, no
fundamental difference exists between the artist's an uninvited intrusion
studio and all those other rooms in which the sitters
spin out the days of their lives. The act of entering
a cooperative effort
Reynold's studio -- this social and aesthetic
encounter -- did not necessarily transform those who
sat for him. Collaboration in portraiture such as a pleasant distraction
Reynolds' is based on the sitter's comfort and
security as well as on his or her desire to experiment
with something new; and it is in this "creation of
another self," as Hazlitt put it, that the painter's
subjects may properly see themselves for the first
time.
Reading Passage "Price Reduction" #1 According to the passage, reduction in price is
comparable to improvement in service in terms of
The fact that reducing price can generate a the
competitive advantage for a company does not mean
that every reduction in price will create such an
advantage. Price reduction, like improvement in tangibility of the benefits that they tend to
service, must be balanced against other types of confer
efforts on the basis of direct, tangible benefits such
as increased revenues. If a company is already
effectively on par with its competitors because it increased revenues that they ultimately
provides products at an acceptable price and keeps produce
customers from leaving at an acceptable rate, then
reduction in price may not be effective, since price basis on which they need to be weighed
is not necessarily the deciding factor for any
customer in any situation.
insufficient analysis that managers devote to
This truth was not apparent to managers of one them
operating system software vendor, which failed to
improve its competitive position - despite its
attempt to reduce price. The software managers did degree of competitive advantage that they are
not recognize the level of customer inertia that likely to provide
arises from the inconvenience of switching operating
systems. Nor did they analyze their reduction in #2 The passage suggests which of the following about
price to determine whether it would attract new price charged by an operating system software
customers by producing a new standard of price that vendor prior to its strategy in reducing its price?
would excite customers or by proving difficult for
competitors to copy.
It was slightly low relative to that of the
vendor's competitors.

It threatened to weaken the vendor's

competitive position with respect to other
operating system software vendors

It had already been reduced after having caused

damage to the vendor's reputation in the past.

It enabled the vendor to retain customers at an

acceptable rate.

It needed to be reduced to attain parity with

the software provided by competing vendors.

#3 The passage suggests that operating system

software managers failed to consider whether or not
the price reduction mentioned in the last sentence

was too complicated to be easily described to

prospective customers

made a measurable change in the experiences

of customers purchasing

could be sustained if the number of customers

increased significantly
 was an innovation that competing vendors could
have imitated

was adequate to bring the vendor's general

level of price to a level that was comparable
with that of its competitors

#4 The discussion of the operating system software

vendor in the last paragraph serves which of the
following functions within the passage as a whole?

It describes an exceptional case in which

reduction in price actually failed to produce a
competitive advantage.

It illustrates the pitfalls of choosing to reduce

price at a time when business strategy is
needed more urgently in another area.

It demonstrates the kind of analysis that

managers apply when they choose one kind of
business strategy over another

It supports the argument that strategies in

certain aspects are more advantageous than
strategies in other aspects.

It provides an example of the point about

reduction in price made in the first paragraph.
Reading Passage "Progressive Education"
No one individual has influenced the course of public
education in the United States during the first half of
the twentieth century more than John Dewey. The
founder of what has become known as "progressive
education," Dewey has been widely acclaimed as
coming from one of the greatest educators of
modern times. To be sure, his ideas have never been
universally accepted, and there have been critics
who were bitterly opposed to his position.
Nevertheless, his influence has been tremendous.
For many years two of the best known institutions
for teacher training in this country were dominated
by his philosophy. His high standing as an educator
has been recognized throughout the world, and many
countries have sought his counsel and advice. His
views were illustrated in the Experimental School at
Chicago, which was under his direction, and they
have been stated in his book Democracy and
Education, one of his most popular publications.
Philosophy and education have been so closely
related in Dewey's thought that it is scarcely possible
to consider one apart from the other. The spirit of
instrumentalism is the guiding factor in both, and
the goal for each of them is the betterment of
human society. Both repudiate the idea of
authoritarian control and provide encouragement for
creative thinking on the part of each individual. Both
are democratic in the sense that they advocate
equal opportunity for all people to develop the
talents and capacities which are peculiar to them.
Dewey was critical of many of the ideas and
practices that were recurrent in the schools of his
day. One of these in particular was the
"transmissive" concept of education. It conceived of
education as a process of transmitting to the new
generation of students the ideas and customs of the
older generation. It employed the use of textbooks,
the contents of which were to be memorized at least
to the extent that the substance of the materials
could be reproduced in an examination. This kind of
procedure was, in Dewey's opinion, more of a
hindrance than a help to the real purpose of an
education, which was to enable students to think
creatively for themselves.
Recognizing that intellectual interests were not the
predominant ones that usually prevail among typical
American students, Dewey believed that the schools
should begin with the interests that they do have.
People learn primarily by doing things and therefore,
students should be given projects on which to work.
This will stimulate a desire to find out more about
the objects with which they have been working, and
the more they find out the greater will be their
desire to extend their knowledge still further. It will
lead them into new fields that are related to their
original subject, and because of the organic
relationship of different fields of knowledge to one
another, the scope of their inquiries will be
practically boundless. The information which they
have gained in this manner will be in response to
their own sense of inquiry rather than something
that has been forced upon them by pressures from
without.
The relationship between facts and their uses will be
brought to light through this kind of an educational
process. Students will be anxious to discover the
uses that can be made of the objects about which
they have studied for the satisfaction of human
needs. They will observe, too, that information on
any topic is never complete in the sense that the last
or final word has been spoken concerning it. This
should encourage them to keep an open mind, ever
ready to change their views whenever it is necessary
to do so in order to bring those views into harmony
with newly discovered facts.
#1 Which of the following is the most appropriate
title for this passage?
Theories of Progressive Education in the
Twentieth Century
John Dewey and the Experimental School at
Chicago
Creative Thinking and Transmissive Teaching
Dewey's Philosophy of Education
Twentieth-Century Progress in Intellectual
History
#2 We may conclude which of the following about
the educational theories and practice that prevailed
before Dewey's views became popular?
They accounted for the weaknesses in Dewey's
own education.
They accounted for the large number of
incompetent teachers at the time.
They were especially well known in Chicago.
They were consistent with the transmissive
 concept of education.

They helped to undermine American

democracy.

#3 According to the passage, John Dewey would

probably agree with which of the following
statements?

Learning is not a result of obedient listening.

Students must memorize facts before they can

put them to use.

Students should be writing textbooks rather

than reading them.

Authoritarian control and creative thinking both

have as their goal the betterment of human
society.

The real purpose of education is difficult to

determine.

#4 The passage implies that a human characteristic

which Dewey found absolutely essential to learning
was

love

curiosity

humor

memory

obedience
Reading Passage "Womens Contribution" #1 It can be most reasonably inferred that the
purpose of the third paragraph is to:
What additional information should be taken into
account when determining women's contribution to
the economy? give examples of work that is not counted by
the UNSNA.
As a political economist, the focus of my research
and activism has always been how economic data
can be used to influence public policy. show the disparity of wealth between women
and men
A main focus of my attention has been the United
Nations System of National Accounts (UNSNA). In the demonstrate that women, on balance, do more
UNSNA, national economies are defined in terms of work than men.
market transactions; consumption, investment, and
saving measures are given in addition to income and
production totals. A vast amount of work performed show the need for increased development in
by women is for household consumption or unpaid many countries.
work in the informal economy. This work is not
counted in UNSNA. give examples of work that results in low
wages.
Just picture the following. A woman goes to collect
water. She uses some to wash the dishes from the
family evening meal (considered unproductive work), #2 Based on the passage, it can be most reasonably
and some to wash the pots in which she had cooked inferred that the purpose of the author's research is
a little food for sale (considered informal work). to:
Next, she goes to the nearby grove to collect bark
for dye for materials to be woven for sale (informal facilitate women's entry into the paid workforce
work). She also collects some roots and leaves to
make an herbal medicine for her child (inactivity).
All this time she will carry her baby on her back encourage more equitable pay for women in the
(inactive work). workforce

Recently, however, some very fine programs have affect public policy by gathering more accurate
resulted from the consideration of these issues. The data
figures needed to ensure that the realities of
women's and children's lives are made visible to
economists and politicians are finally starting to be highlight the innovative projects of the UNSNA
produced.
show the lack of time women have to do
The Nova Scotia, Canada Genuine Progress Indicator
household work
(GPI) has been designed as a pilot program. The
indicators of GPI include statistics on unpaid work,
divided into voluntary and community work; unpaid #3 Based on the passage, it can be most reasonably
housework and parenting; and the value of unpaid inferred that most economic data gathering systems
overtime and underemployment. In 1997, Nova used by the UNSNA have not taken into account
Scotians contributed an estimated 134 million hours
of their time to civic and voluntary work, and more the gender of workers.
than 940 million hours to unpaid household work.
Their unpaid work in these two categories was the
equivalent of 571,000 full-year full-time jobs! the level of job satisfaction of workers.

the effect of unpaid work on child care.

whether work leads to better job opportunities.

 unpaid work that is essential to households.
#4 What do all of the woman's activities listed in the
third paragraph have in common?
None of the activities are intended to earn
money for her household.
None of her activities involve working for an
employer.
All of the activities involve making products for
use in her home.
None of the activities require her to leave her
home.
All of the activities involve producing either
food or medicine.
#5 As it is used in the passage, what does the
underlined word "figures" most nearly mean?
People
Shapes
Data
Regulations
Thoughts
#6 According to the passage, the Genuine Progress
Indicator (GPI) showed that in 1997 Nova Scotians
performed work that was the equivalent of 571,000
full-year full-time jobs. What kinds of work were
used to arrive at that figure?
Unpaid household work only
Unpaid overtime and civic and voluntary work
only
Underemployment time and unpaid household
work only
Unpaid household work, and civic and voluntary
work only
Unpaid overtime only
#7 What is the main idea of the fourth paragraph?
Economists and politicians are finally beginning
to recognize the realities of women's and
children's lives
Data that better reflects the lives of women
and children is beginning to become available.
Recently, economists and politicians have
started to produce policy that acknowledges
the realities of women's and children's lives.
The realities of women's and children's lives are
beginning to inspire economists and politicians
to devise new ways to measure work.
The fine work of economists and politicians is
becoming more visible to women engaged in
unpaid work.
#8 How do the details in the last paragraph help
support the author's main point?
They show that workers are being asked to
perform too much unpaid overtime work.
They give an example of the large amount of
work that is not counted in standard economic
data.
They give an example of the fact that women
do the majority of household and parenting
work.
They illustrate the author's point that there is
an unequal division between unpaid work in
the home and outside the home.
They show that people in Nova Scotia perform
a much larger amount of unpaid work than do
people in other areas.